Dud.
I’ve had so many of these lately that I’m starting to get discouraged. Is it me? Is it the pattern? Is it my ability to pair the fabric and pattern? Am I distracted? Gah. Whatever. Here’s the nitty gritty.
Love the skirt pattern in the magazine.
It’s the one on the right. Yada yada.
It looks okay, right?
The back looks okay too. It has some weird butt stuff going on, maybe, but not bad.
Nice topstitching? Check.
Skirt in action? Blech. The skirt is on the bias. I interfaced the back zipper portion. The more I messed with it, the more wonky it got. See the butt-bump? This is the best I could get it. Trust me, I put the zipper in a few times, I added space and took away space, I interfaced more of the back. These pictures are all lighten so you all can see the hideous wrinkles and lumps.
This is the best I could get. This is probably tighter than it needs to be at this point. It was, at one point looser, but then my butt just looked saggy. This is like the 5th version of this skirt. Let it out, take it in, let it out a little, take it in a titch. I think the seams that point away from the butt make it look wider too. That’s not where I want visual widening. Of course, I decided to emphasize it with bright white topstitching. Go, me!
I don’t know what happened. I’m an experienced sew-ist. I interface things. I staystitch when needed so things don’t stretch out. I am gentle. I know how to put in zippers. Sigh. Again, whatever.
Thoughts:
1) The front darts are widely spaced and are almost at my hips means the dart end pops out a little strangely.
2) I think I should have made the back piece on grain here. I think I would have avoided the stretching out and the pulls. I think that’s the main issue with the back. That, and me playing with it (hours of unpicking black thread on dark gray wool, fun!).
3) I started by interfacing just the zipper area plus a few inches. When the area below the zipper was sewn, the entire seam looks wavy like this. By the time it was done, the whole top to bottom was interfaced about 3” in. This helped the bottom immensely but not the area around the zipper.
Water off a duck’s back, right? Fucking ducks.
17 comments:
It's obviously the pattern ... I've seen how well you can sew. :-)
I like the idea of the pattern, though, and agree the back would probably behave better on grain.
Quack, quack!
I like this style too. I don't mess too much with bias cut clothes. They befuddle me.
Go Beavs! Slap your tail and be done with it.
It's interesting that the line drawing has those seam lines come down and then curve over the sides, whereas your seamlines immediately go to the sides.
I like the idea of a curved line swinging to the front.
I cannot for the life of me think this would make my size 18 butt look better.
I know how you feel. I just made a jacket that I really don't like now that I have spent so much time on it. My choice of fabric for this particular pattern just was totally wrong and I like you am an experienced sewist. I really should have seen this coming.
I think the bias cut could be the issue with the back of your skirt. It is a nice looking pattern. I made a Burda skirt pattern that has some similarities a couple of years ago, the zipper was on the side; maybe that is another possible change.
Oh Dawn, you made my night...fucking ducks, indeed! You are an awesome sewist and if it doesn't turn out, there are definitely other forces taking over!
Ohmygosh - you are so funny! I would cut the back on the grain, sew the zipper in, and THEN continue. The line drawing shows that little bit of extra fabric at the hemline - but you may want to just have it fall straight. (If it's on grain, maybe you won't have to tho!)
I too loved this pattern when it came out. I too have struggled with zippers on the bias doing funny things.
I am wondering if you fabric has too much body to drape graciously across the body?
I would have thought that style would be a knockout on your figure. As kathyh has said, the line drawing of the back view has the line falling about 2/3 down the skirt before it swings to the front, whereas that happens about half way down in the skirt. If you're game enough to start again, you could adjust your pattern.
I hope you get a wow project done soon! It can be so discouraging when you get a couple of disappointments in a row.
No advice but ... bloody ducks!
You ARE an experience (and awesome) sewist, but sometimes (duck) shit happens. Bummer all the same. Bias cuts always make me nervous, ever since I made a dress with similar issues of bumpy zippers and weird wrinkles. You're still a rock star in my book.
I would have to have a lot of drinks before I tried to top stitch anything on the bias. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me! It's not you, it's the pattern.
Maybe I'll give this one a miss then, shame cause it looked cute in the magazine. I have a large butt but no need to make people look at it more.....
We all need these projects to keep it real, hopefully they are few and far between though.... Bias cuts are so bloody annoying and clingy that I steer clear of them, I've crossed this one off my list now
Bias back panel skirts...a recipe for disaster...the more you take in the waist the worse they get and ripples...ripples up the wazoo! No amount of interfacing would have make this puppy better. Use your instincts and cut that back on grain next time and avoid the mermaid tail thing floating out the center back seam. So much work and perfect top stitching to waste on a badly designed pattern...all pattens have flaws...some larger and more obvious than others...and the solution as always...MAKE A MUSLIN! On my blog I do that and it renders some really baaaad patterns that we can pass on. Better luck next time with your professional skills!
I think your on grain idea for the back is a good one. I've made a bias top and bias skirt with a side zip and had those same incurable problems with that seam.
Narrow cut + bias = incompatibility.
It is not you, it is the pattern ! bad draft !
so sorry about your wasted efforts !
I was just looking at this pattern last night, then saw it was on the bias and was like, "Nope." I cannot get bias to work for me ever. It is always a complete disaster, especially at the hemline. I like the shape, though, so I suppose I need to get out my measuring tape and see what size I need to cut it on straight grain.
Post a Comment